A New Responsibility
by semisweetsoul
Summary: McCallister centric story. An event is about to change Robert's life forever. No need to know the show to understand the story, which does respect canon. Written for the family 15 challenge.


**AUTHOR: **semisweetsoul

**CHARACTERS: **The McCallisters (but which ones?)

**RATING: **K

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **Story written for the "Family 15 challenge", prompt #2: Happy Additions.

**PS:** You don't need to know the show to understand the story! Enjoy!

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A New Responsibility

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He had been sat there on that bench for more than thirty minutes. His eyes were aching; he had not slept well if not at all the previous night. He looked around. The walls were painted in a neutral white but the artificial light rendered some spots gray here and there. A woman old enough to be his mother and he thought, possibly his grand-mother ventured in the hallway to rejoin her room, her characteristic walk letting no mystery whatsoever that her torment would soon be over. When she drew level with him, which she accomplished with much difficulty, she gave him a smile. He smiled back at her politely to express her some sympathy or give her some courage or anything she was willing to receive. He followed her figure moving forward until it disappeared in the scheming shadowy corner in the endless corridor.

"Robert, you should better wait here. We'll come and get you later, alright. Don't worry; everything is going to be just fine." Despite their endeavor to spread words of comfort and serenity, they didn't realize they left a confused and concerned Robert waiting alone in the rather gloomy place.

He had been really obedient. After ten minutes in what he supposed was a waiting area, he had flipped through the whole stack of old magazines; he undertook to explore the immediate vicinity a bit more. The long hallway was deserted; the waiting room was a squared little corner with a window through which he could barely make out the surroundings in the dark and starless night. Some chairs and worn armchairs; an occasional table that balanced on three unsteady legs and some toys gathered in a dirty plastic box were the first things he noticed in that place that seemed less and less welcoming as the minutes passed.

Feeling bored and fidgety he decided he could allow himself something to drink. After a moment's hesitation, he let the warm temperature of the hospital's atmosphere decide for him, a cold drink, something refreshing would be better than some hot chocolate that would leave a bitter aftertaste in his mouth. Nervousness made him craved for sugary drinks ever since ... well forever. He came back to the seat he had been granted, thinking it would only aggravate the quite distressing situation if they had to worry about him. But he could not stand still so he stood up and started to go back and forth from the bench to the chairs to the window past the table and back to the corridor which from an outsider's point of view would have been unquestionably described as pacing worriedly.

He stopped short as his eyes laid on a clock, it was almost two in the morning, which gave him the explanation why so few people had been there. They were probably peacefully asleep or on their way to dreamland. If that clock was correct, it was very late; maybe he should try to get some rest although he could not say he felt sleepy. He came back to the bench, took off his jacket, folded it carefully, placed it under his head and curled himself up like his Aunt Phyllis's cat except that unlike Artichoke he was not going to purr. Despite his attempts at sleeping, the bright electric light prevented his thoughts to get some rest; it acted like vitamin on him or maybe that was the result of his drinking some orange juice, it was a far more plausible reason. After several unsuccessful efforts at closing his eyes, he gave up. The reason he was not sleepy was simple: he was excited.

Several things were about to change, in fact some already had. For a second he wondered if this was going to be a good or a bad thing. He had been told about it yet he strongly believed this was one of those things only describable after you have experienced them. And he was about to. Would he remember that day, ten, twenty years in the future? Most likely. He would recall that precise moment all his life.

"Excuse me, Robert? Would you come with me, please?" A female voice said, interrupting the stream of his thoughts.

He followed the nurse along the hallway, the eagerness to go through the long passage had faded, the idea of walking towards the endless, dark and enigmatic end paralyzed him or was it what he was going to find after that made his hands shaking and his heart beating faster? She opened a large door, that second corridor's decoration was totally different. There were colors everywhere on the walls and the doors, even on the ceiling: pink and blue flowers, yellow and orange balloons, wild animals that seemed to welcome visitors with their happy grins. They finally arrived; the nurse pushed another door open. He took his courage in both hands, because strangely, he was not really sure he wanted to come inside anymore.

There she was lying on the bed, her cheeks so rosy he hardly recognized her. She looked beautiful despite her visible fatigue. She made a sign for him to approach her, he was unusually shy but he stepped forward carefully just as she had asked.

There he was in her arms, so minuscule he wondered how such a small creature could have inflicted her so much pain, he could still hear her cries resonate in his head. They had soothed her suffering for she was now smiling and in her eyes he perceived the same bright sparkle he first noticed when she told him about the new arrival. As he contemplated the little baby boy, the little face, the little fingers, he observed he was the same color as her cheeks, he wondered if he had been that small and rosy one day.

"Do you think he looks like me?" He asked shyly. He was assured so. Maybe she had answered positively to please him or to reassure him that he would not be forgotten, that she still loved and cared for him because from now on, most of her attention would be focused on that sweet little person.

Clumsily, he caressed the tiny hand with his forefinger; the baby opened his eyes for a split second. "He recognized me."

That was all he needed to feel he existed. He was there for someone, someone he wanted to protect and guide through what his father frequently called 'the greatest journey of all.'

"Did you decide on a name?" Robert inquired.

"Yes, I finally did! Honey, this is your little brother, Jason." His mother answered softly.

"You're a big brother, now, Robert, this is a great responsibility." His father added.

Something told him it was just the first, but always will be the most important.

THE END

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